The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Sam Hall Invitational
Shufflebotham Leads UAB During Opening Day Of Sam Hall Intercollegiate
9/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Sept. 12, 2011
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - UAB senior golfer Jason Shufflebotham set a career-low 36-hole mark of four-under par 138 during Monday's opening day of the Sam Hall Intercollegiate. As a team, the Green and Gold set a pair of historical marks on their way to a five-under par 563 (285-278) and will enter Tuesday's final round in fourth-place in the 15-team field.
The Blazers, competing in their first event of the 2011 fall campaign, recorded a second round 278 which tied for the ninth-lowest 18-hole mark in program history. The last time the team carded at least a 278 or lower came during the 2006 Barona Collegiate Cup. Furthermore, the 563 tied for the sixth-lowest 36-hole mark in the record books matching the mark set during the opening two rounds from the 2003 Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate.
Shufflebotham is in a tie for sixth overall in the 84-man field after recording back-to-back rounds of 69 on the par 71, 6,882-yard Hattiesburg Country Club course. His two-round total topped his previous 36-hole watershed mark of 141, set at the 2011 Duck Invitational. He trails South Alabama's Blake Kelley, who recorded a second-round 64 on his way to a nine-under par 133.
Shufflebotham was not the only Blazer to have a record-setting day. Junior Hunter Hawkins tied his 18-hole low with a second-round 69. The Fort Payne, Ala. native also set a 36-hole mark with a two-under par 140 (71-69), surpassing his former low of 147, set at the 2011 C-USA Championship. He enters the final 18 holes in a tie for 13th overall.
Sophomore Thomas Sutton is also among the top-20 golfers after carding an even par 142 (72-70) on the afternoon. He is in a tie for 17th overall entering Tuesday's last round.
Sophomore Sam Love also had a good start to the season, as he set career-best 18-hole score of one-under 70 and matched his 36-hole career low score of two-over 144 (74-70). Love enters the final round in a tie for 32nd overall. Sophomore Wilson McDonald rounds out UAB in 53rd overall with a 147 (73-74).
Ole Miss leads the event through 36 holes with a team total of 10-under-par 558, two strokes ahead of second place South Alabama (560). Louisiana-Lafayette (562) is just ahead of the Blazers, while Memphis (564) rounds out the top five.
The event will conclude Tuesday with the final round starting at 8 a.m. Live scoring throughout the 18 holes can be found by logging onto www.Golfstat.com.
